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| View of the Napa Valley just below St. Helena in 1878 |
It has finally dawned on some California cult wineries that there is an economic downturn and that cash flow is more feasible if they lower their prices.
I used to see the Caymus Reserve Cab for the tidy sum of $180 and now you can get it for a miserly hundred bucks. Still on the steep side for a cheapskate like myself, but the tendency of prices going south is good news for consumers.
At least Caymus has an unblemished track record for its Cabs and some justification to command high prices, but there are plenty of Napa newcomers with no track record and still charging outrageous prices.
Speaking of Napa, I went to two recent media tastings of the St. Helena Appellation, one at the Greystone Wine Education center in November and another one about two weeks ago which was held in an impressive old barn, sporting exposed huge roof beams, that serves as the hospitality center for the Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi winery.
There was some overlap between the two tastings. Still, I thought I had landed in a parallel universe. Perhaps it was due to the sterile professional tasting ambiance of the Wine Education Center vs. the more relaxed atmosphere at the Charles Krug winery.
Anyway, the tasting of the "great" 2007's at Greystone left me with the impression that these wineries were stuck in the mode that they supposedly have foresworn: over-extracted, over-oaked, huge wines, lacking acidity which makes them less suitable at the table.
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| Charles Krug Winery in 1877 |
The second tasting at the Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi Winery offered a potpourri of '06s, '07s,'08s and additional '09s barrel samples.
When California vintners experience less than ideal weather conditions as they did in '06, they describe it as a "difficult"year. They should be talking to their colleagues in France, Germany and even Northern Italy and parts of Spain. At least until recent climate changes, "difficult years" were more the rule than the exception. The 1990's, for example, with the exception of the splendid '95s, was pretty much a washout for most Bordeaux estates.
No doubt about it, great wines were made in the Napa Valley from 2006 through 2009. Personally, at the most recent tasting, I often preferred the '06s to the '07's. We can also look forward to some balanced '09s as the Cab barrel samples and the already bottled Zins showed.
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PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS:
'07 Benessere Vineyards Sangiovese (thankfully tastes different from a Cab). The '06 "Phenomenon," presumably a Bordeaux blend (Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc), was wonderful.
'07 Bressler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
'07 Casa Nuestra "Tinto St. Helena," a field blend, common in the old days, containing, as I understand, Zin, Carignan, Rofosco, and Petit Sirah, showing that blending can deliver delicious wines. This estate also makes a wonderful Chenin Blanc.
'06 Califia Cellars, Red Meritage. Preferred this over the '07
'00 Corison Winery Cabernet Sauvignon "Kronos Vineyard." Eureka!
'09 Premiere Cabernet Sauvignon. Holds great promise.
'07 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon. Very stylish and delicious.
'07 Freemark Abbey "Josephine." Good ol' Freemark Abbey is back in form.
'08 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tomasson Vineyard
Robert Biale Vineyards: I told the folks at the table, "prove to me that I should like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah," both of which I normally avoid like the plague. They won me over with their '09 Zinfandel "Old Crane Ranch" and the '08 Petite Sirah "Thomann Station."
'07 Sabina Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
'09 Sabina Vineyards: very promising barrel sample.
'07 Shibumi Knoll Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Great wine. Enjoy it at the French Laundry in Yountville
'06 St. Helena Winery "Scandale," Estate Cabernet St. Helena Winery Vineyard
Trinchero Napa Valley: Very good '08 "Cabernet Sauvignon," "Petit Verdot," "Cabernet Franc."
'09 Tudal Winery Barrel Sample - Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
V Madrone Cellars: '06 and '07 Cabernet Sauvignon V MadroneVineyard. Excellent wines.
Varozza Vineyards: '06 Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah were very impressive.
'08 Vineyard 29 "Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon." Shows lots of sweet fruit, richness, balance and length.
Most of these wines are going to cost you a pretty penny, but I believe that some represent the best the Napa Valley has to offer and a bit of research may reveal a nugget here and there that doesn't cost a queen's ransom.
Prices for the Casa Nuestra wines: $24 for the Chenin Blanc and $32 for the "Tinto" blend, which sounds very decent. On the other hand, the Fremark Abbey '07 "Josephine" would set you back $80.
All of these wineries have websites that are identical except for the name of the winery (e.g. www.casanuestra.com).
